2015 Archives

That passengers are willing to pay for some conveniences that would otherwise be free--such as flight updates, in-seat power, and better baggage tracking--tells you everything you need to know about the state of affairs in today's air passenger experience. There are projects underway to solve these issues, and no one has talked about charging for them. We hope this doesn't give anyone funny ideas.

Gray's company exemplifies the challenges of a business that is more original than it is scalable. But it's enduring creativity is one reason that it's making a second appearance at the Skift Global Forum.

We've been watching how early adopters in business travel are beginning to partner with Uber and Airbnb. Likewise, segments of the hotel industry are beginning to accommodate the sharing economy. Five years from now that collaboration and cooptation will be in full swing.

As the use of beacons to connect with customers becomes commonplace in other areas of life, such as retail, aviation will have an easier time making passengers comfortable with these exchanges. The trick is data exchange with airports, and between airlines. The commercial and strategic value of the Big Data airlines gather about us at various stages of the journey makes them loathe to share too much.

Travelers don't want to wait for the airports' promises of a better tomorrow and these startups hear their demands loud and clear.

How much inconvenience can you afford for a bargain basement fare?

With the emergence of TripAdvisor and Google as online travel agency alternatives and Amazon waiting in the wings if it ever figures out what it wants to do in travel, all the signs point toward an increasingly competitive online travel agency market in the U.S. These are factors the DOJ will consider when mulling the Expedia-Orbitz deal.

For first time Uber is now more popular among business travelers than taxis as a percent of all rides, a seminal moment if there ever was one for the business traveler transport economy.

Influencer campaigns need to be just as targeted and measured as today's interest-based Facebook ads.

Forty years sounds like a long time, but in aviation it’s barely long enough time to get your kit together.